Separating Device

ABSTRACT

A separating device disposed inside a business machine and including a driving unit, a transmission component, an elastic rotation mechanism and a friction component. The transmission component is linked to the driving unit, and the elastic rotation mechanism can be made integrally and disposed on a base structure of the business machine. The elastic rotation mechanism includes a roller axle and an elastic separating roller, a side of the roller axle is linked to the driving unit via the transmission component, the elastic separating roller is sleeved onto the roller axle, and the friction component dispose on the base structure and contacted with elastic separating roller to provide a normal friction force. The related components are redesigned and rearranged based on concepts of integrated design and inversed design, to reduce number of components, and achieve objective of decreasing cost of stocking related components and assembly.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Taiwan Patent Application No. 103218218, filed on Oct. 14, 2014 in the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of China, Taiwan, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a separating device, particularly to a separating device disposed inside a business machine and utilizing a friction difference to separate sheets.

2. Description of Related Art

A separating device, which is one of key assemblies of a business machine, is used to separate a plurality of sheets stacked together, to feed the sheets into the business machine one by one. A traditional separating device adopts a rigid separating roller incorporating with an elastic friction component to perform the function of separating sheets. However, an elastic adjustment assembly, such as a spring, must be arranged under the friction component to provide an appropriate push force to enable a friction with certain degree to be kept between the separating roller and the friction component, and this friction is applied to separate the sheets.

The elastic adjustment assembly can adjust friction adaptively, but components of the elastic adjustment assembly are numerous and a complex assembly is required. Compared with other assembly, the related components of the elastic adjustment assembly are easy to be invalid due to damage or wear after being operated for a period.

SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a separating device which applies a concept of inversely arranging the related device to redesign and re-arrange the related components, for reducing the number of the related components.

Other exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a separating device in which some components are integratedly designed as an integral formation for facilitating subsequent manufacture or assembly.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a separating device in which a position limiting structure is used to constrain an acting range of the separating roller for decreasing unnecessary wear and further improving the life time of the separating roller.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a separating device is disposed inside a business machine and includes a driving unit, a transmission component, an elastic rotation mechanism and a friction component. The transmission component is linked to the driving unit. The elastic rotation mechanism can be made integrally and disposed on a base structure of the business machine. The elastic rotation mechanism includes a roller axle and an elastic separating roller, a side of the roller axle is linked to the driving unit via the transmission component, the elastic separating roller is sleeved onto the roller axle, and the friction component is disposed on the base structure and is contacted with the elastic separating roller to provide a normal friction force.

Preferably, the elastic separating roller further includes an elastic coating layer on a surface thereof to adjust friction.

Preferably, the elastic rotation mechanism further includes a balanced weight component to compensate the normal friction force.

Preferably, the friction component can include a friction plate or a friction wheel.

Preferably, the elastic rotation mechanism and the transmission component can be integrally formed.

According to other exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a separating device is disposed inside a business machine and includes a driving unit, a transmission component, an elastic rotation mechanism, a position limiting structure and a friction component. The transmission component is linked to the driving unit. The elastic rotation mechanism can be made integrally and disposed on a base structure of the business machine. The elastic rotation mechanism includes a roller axle and an elastic separating roller, a side of the roller axle is linked to the driving unit via the transmission component, and the elastic separating roller is sleeved onto the roller axle. The position limiting structure is disposed on the base structure to constrain an acting range of the elastic rotation mechanism, and the friction component is disposed on the base structure and is contacted with the elastic separating roller to provide a normal friction force.

Preferably, the elastic separating roller further includes an elastic coating layer on a surface thereof to adjust friction.

Preferably, the elastic rotation mechanism further includes a balanced weight component to compensate the normal friction force.

Preferably, the friction component can include a friction plate or a friction wheel.

Preferably, the position limiting structure and the base structure can be integrally formed.

Preferably, the elastic rotation mechanism and the transmission component can be integrally formed.

To sum up, a main objective of the present disclosure is to provide a separating device which has the following advantages.

First, the separating device is integratedly designed. Related components are integrated designed into an assembly integrally formed, so as to decrease time consumption for assembly and an accumulating tolerance produced during assembly.

Secondly, the separating device is applied an inversed design. The friction component which is assembled or disassembled difficultly is replaced by a friction component made of rigid material with higher hardness to decrease an operating wear. In addition, the separating roller is made of the elastic material for facilitating subsequent replacement.

Thirdly, the number of components can be reduced. The separating roller and the friction component are arranged inversely, so the feedback compensation for the normal friction force is provided by the elastic rotation mechanism. Therefore, the whole elastic adjustment assembly can be discarded to decrease invalidation probability caused by the elastic adjustment assembly.

Fourthly, the manufacturing cost can be decreased. By redesigning the related components, the cost of stocking related components, assembly cost and assembly tolerance can be efficiently reduced, so the manufacturing cost is reduced efficiently.

In order to further understand the techniques, means and effects of the present disclosure, the following detailed descriptions and appended drawings are hereby referred, such that, through which, the purposes, features and aspects of the present disclosure can be thoroughly and concretely appreciated; however, the appended drawings are merely provided for reference and illustration, without any intention to be used for limiting the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a separating device of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the separating device of the present disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

Please refer to FIG. 1 which shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of a separating device of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1, the separating device 100 includes a driving unit 10, a transmission component 20, an elastic rotation mechanism 30 and a friction component 40. The driving unit 10 is a power driving mechanism to provide the driving power for operation of the separating device 100. The transmission component 20 is linked to the driving unit 10 to drive the roller axle 31 of the elastic rotation mechanism 30 to rotate. In implementation, the driving unit 10 and the transmission component 20 can be a gear set or a timing belt assembly to transmit a stable rotation rate.

The elastic rotation mechanism 30 can be made integrally and disposed on a base structure of business machine (not shown in FIGs). The elastic rotation mechanism 30 includes a roller axle 31 and an elastic separating roller 32, a side of the roller axle 31 is linked to the driving unit 10 via the transmission component 20, and the elastic separating roller 32 is sleeved onto the roller axle 31. The roller axle 31 further includes a bearing 70 at other side thereof, and the bearing 70 is mounted on the base structure to maintain the separating device 100 to operate smoothly. In implementation, the elastic rotation mechanism 30 and gears of the transmission component 20 can be designed as an integral formation and manufactured by single manufacturing process.

The friction component 40 is disposed on the base structure and is contacted with the elastic separating roller 32 to provide a normal friction force. In implementation, the friction component 40 can be made of rigid material or elastic material, and is disposed on the base structure. The rigid material is taken as example for the material of the friction component 40 in this embodiment, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In addition, the friction component 40 can be a friction plate or a friction wheel depended on the usage frequency of the separating device 100. Moreover, in order to maintain the normal friction force, the material of the elastic separating roller 32 can be selected appropriately according to design parameter, such as shape or size of the elastic separating roller 32.

For further illustration, a surface of the elastic separating roller 32 can further be coated an elastic coating layer 36, and the material of the coating layer can be selected appropriately according to different usage environment, so that the elastic and hardness of appropriate elastic separating roller 32 can be utilized to provide the normal friction force matching with the requirement.

Moreover, compared with the traditional separating mechanism, the separating device 100 of the present disclosure is an inversed design, so the elastic rotation mechanism 30 is used to provide the normal friction force for feedback compensation. The elastic rotation mechanism 30 further includes a balanced weight component 38 to compensate the normal friction force, and the weight and arrangement of the balanced weight component 38 should be analyzed and designed precisely.

Please refer to FIG. 2 which shows a schematic view of a second embodiment of the separating device of the present disclosure. As show in FIG. 2, this embodiment further provides a separating device 100 including a driving unit 10, a transmission component 20, an elastic rotation mechanism 30, a position limiting structure 60 and a friction component 40. Compared with the first embodiment, in the second embodiment the position limiting structure 60 is provided additionally on the base structure to constrain the acting range of the elastic rotation mechanism 30. The elastic rotation mechanism 30 is limited to only slightly shake at up and down direction and cannot move arbitrarily in large range, to prevent unnecessary wear and improve life time correspondingly.

In implementation, the present disclosure integrates the related components to reduce number of components. For example, the transmission component 20 and the elastic rotation mechanism 30, or the position limiting structure 60 and the base structure can be designed as an integral formation to reduce the manufacturing procedure and the cost of stocking and assembly procedure can be saved and the accumulating tolerance between components can further be decreased.

The present disclosure adopts concepts of the integrated design and the inversed design. Apart from designing the related components into an integral formation, the traditional friction component which is assembled or disassembled difficultly is replaced by a friction component made of rigid material with higher hardness to decrease operating wear. In addition, the separating roller and the roller axle are combined together to be an elastic rotation mechanism and made by elastic material to maintain the required normal friction force. The elastic rotation mechanism is placed on the base structure by clamping, so it is very convenient to repair or replace the elastic rotation mechanism.

Moreover, the elastic rotation mechanism and the friction component are arranged inversely, and the feedback compensation for the normal friction force is provided by the elastic rotation mechanism, so the traditional elastic adjustment assembly can be discarded. Therefore, the cost of stocking components and assembly can be decreased efficiently, and time consumption for subsequent repair can also be reduced.

The above-mentioned descriptions represent merely the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, without any intention to limit the scope of the present disclosure thereto. Various equivalent changes, alternations or modifications based on the claims of present disclosure are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present disclosure. 

1. A separating device, disposed inside a business machine, the separating device comprising: a driving unit; a transmission component, linked to the driving unit; an elastic rotation mechanism, disposed on a base structure of the business machine, the elastic rotation mechanism comprising a roller axle and an elastic separating roller, a side of the roller axle linked to the driving unit via the transmission component, and the roller axle coaxially disposed within the elastic separating roller; and a friction component, disposed on the base structure and contacted with the elastic separating roller to provide a normal friction force; wherein, no elastic component is disposed between the base structure and the friction component, and the elastic separating roller is maintained to be in contact with the friction component by weight of the elastic separating roller. 2-11. (canceled)
 12. The separating device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic separating roller further comprises an elastic coating layer at a surface thereof to adjust friction.
 13. The separating device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic rotation mechanism further comprises a balanced weight component to compensate the normal friction force.
 14. The separating device according to claim 1, wherein the friction component comprises a friction plate or a friction wheel.
 15. The separating device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic rotation mechanism and the transmission component are integrally formed.
 16. The separating device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic rotation mechanism is made integrally.
 17. A separating device, disposed inside a business machine, the separating device comprising: a driving unit; a transmission component, linked to the driving unit; an elastic rotation mechanism, disposed on a base structure of the business machine, the elastic rotation mechanism comprising a roller axle and an elastic separating roller, a side of the roller axle linked to the driving unit via the transmission component, and the roller axle coaxially disposed within the elastic separating roller; a position limiting structure, disposed on the base structure to constrain an acting range of the elastic rotation mechanism; and a friction component, disposed on the base structure and contacted with the elastic separating roller to provide a normal friction force ; wherein, no elastic component is disposed between the base structure and the friction component, and the elastic separating roller is maintained to be in contact with the friction component by weight of the elastic separating roller.
 18. The separating device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic separating roller further comprises an elastic coating layer at a surface thereof to adjust friction.
 19. The separating device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic rotation mechanism further comprises a balanced weight component to compensate the normal friction force.
 20. The separating device according to claim 17, wherein the friction component comprises a friction plate or a friction wheel.
 21. The separating device according to claim 17, wherein the position limiting structure and the base structure are integrally formed.
 22. The separating device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic rotation mechanism and the transmission component are integrally formed.
 23. The separating device according to claim 17, wherein the elastic rotation mechanism is made integrally. 